JPH03270952A - Color printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable printing to be confirmed even in the case where a color of printing paper conforms to a color to be printed by a method wherein a paper color signal detected by a paper color detection means is compared with a color designation signal indicating the color to be printed and when both conform to each other, a conversion means which converts said color designation signal to a different color designation signal to be outputted, is established. CONSTITUTION:Before color printing is started, a paper color detection means 13 detects a base color of printing paper 11, emits a paper color signal, and sends it to a conversion means 14. The conversion means 14 compares the paper color signal detected by the paper color detection means 13 with a color designation signal of a color to be printed. When both conform to each other, the conversion means 14 converts said color designation signal to a different color designation signal to be outputted. Therefore, a printing head control means 15 makes printing on the printing paper 11 by a different color from the color to be printed with a color printing head mechanism 12 based on the color signal from the conversion means 14, and enables printing contents to be confirmed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] The purpose of the present invention is to enable confirmation of printing even when the color of the printing paper and the color to be printed match, regarding a color printing method that performs color printing on printing paper. In a color printing method that performs color printing on printing paper, there is a paper color detection means that detects the color of the printing paper and outputs a paper color signal, and a paper color signal detected by the paper color detection means and the printing color. a color instruction signal indicating the desired color; and a conversion means for converting the color instruction signal into a different color and outputting the same if the two match; The present invention includes a print head control means for controlling printing on printing paper by the print head mechanism.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a color printing method for performing color printing on printing paper.

[Prior Art] In recent years, many color printers have come into use, but the printing paper used in these color printers is
If the base color is not white, the desired color will not be printed correctly, so printing paper with a white base color is generally used.

FIG. 5(a) shows the three primary colors for opaque colors, and as shown, blue, green, and red are selected as the three primary colors. By appropriately mixing these three primary colors, any color can be created.

(in Figure 5) shows the three primary colors of light, cyan (C
), magenta (denoted by M) and yellow (denoted by Y)
Consisting of

Since ink for color printing is generally transparent, various colors can be represented by using the three primary colors of light.

For example, when printing with both cyan C and magenta M printing inks, blue B is printed. Green G by cyan C and yellow Y
printed on. Magenta M and yellow Y are printed on red R.

When the base of the printing paper is white, as described above, by mixing the three primary colors of cyan C, magenta M, and yellow Y in an appropriate ratio, it is possible to accurately print the desired color.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, if the base of the printing paper is a color other than white, the light of the base color will mix with the color of the ink, making it impossible to correctly print the desired color.

Therefore, if the operator mistakenly sets printing paper of the same color as the color to be printed in the printing device, there is a problem in that it is impossible to confirm whether printing is being performed or not.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to enable confirmation of printed content even when the color of printing paper and the color to be printed match.

[Means for solving the problems] The means adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems are as follows:
This will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the basic configuration of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, numeral 11 is printing paper, and different colors are used depending on the operator.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a color print head mechanism, which is capable of performing normal color printing on the printing paper 11 by a printing method such as a thermal transfer method or an inkjet method.

A paper color detection means 13 detects the color of the printing paper 11 and outputs a paper color signal.

14 is a conversion means, which compares the paper color signal detected by the paper color detection means 13 and a color instruction signal indicating the color to be printed, and converts the color instruction signal to a different color if both match. and output.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a print head control means, which controls printing on the printing paper 11 by the color print head mechanism 12 based on the color instruction signal from the conversion means 14.

[Effect]

The color printing process of the present invention will be explained.

First, before color printing starts, the paper color detection means 1
3 detects the base color of the printing paper 11, generates a paper color signal, and sends it to the conversion means 14.

The converting means 14 compares the paper color signal detected by the paper color detecting means 13 and the color instruction signal of the color to be printed, and if the two match, converts the color instruction signal into a different color and outputs it. do.

Therefore, the print head control means 15 causes the color print head mechanism 12 to print on the printing paper 11 in a color different from the color to be printed, based on the color signal from the conversion means 14, so that the printed content can be confirmed. .

On the other hand, when the paper color signal is different from the color instruction signal of the color to be printed, the color print head mechanism 12 prints the color to be printed on the printing portion of the printing paper 11.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, taking as an example a case in which color printing is performed using a thermal transfer method. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an ink sheet used in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the converting means.

(A) In the tank bottom of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the printing paper 11, color print head mechanism 12, paper color detection means 13, conversion means 14, and print head control means 15 are as explained in FIG. .

In the color print head mechanism 12, 121 is a color print head, and in the case of a thermal transfer method, yellow Y, cyan C
, magenta M, black B, and white W color print heads are common.

Reference numeral 122 denotes an ink sheet, on which ink films of white W, cyan C, magenta M, yellow Y, and black B, indicated by 124 to 128, are cyclically provided on the base film 123 as shown in FIG. There is. The size of the ink film of each color corresponds to the printing paper size. For example, when the printing paper size is A4, each printing ink film is also A4 size.

A roller 17 is used to feed the printing paper 11.

Reference numeral 18 denotes an operation panel, which is provided with inputs for various operations as well as switches for instructing the color to be converted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the converting means 14 includes paper color signals C, M, and Y from a CCD sensor for color reading, which is the paper color detecting means 13, and a print color signal provided from a host computer of a host device. A comparison circuit 30 that compares each color component of C'M' and Y' and outputs a signal when the two do not match.
, 32.34. The conversion means 14 also includes a conversion color storage register 36 that stores conversion color information (for example, black or white) C', M', and Y' given by the operator via the operation panel 18, and a comparison circuit 30.32. AND circuit 38 that performs a logical AND operation on the output of ゜34, and AND circuit 3
When the output of the AND circuit 38 is 'IJ', the color signal of the converted color storage register 36 is selected, and when the output of the AND circuit 38 is '0', the print color signal C', M given from the host computer is selected.
', Y' and color signal C'' M #l, Y #
7, a switching circuit 4 outputs the output to the print head control means 15 as
0.

(B) Operation of the embodiment The operation of the embodiment will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4.

(2) The operator first inputs the color to be converted and output from the operation panel 18, and inputs it to the conversion means 14. The conversion means 14 converts the specified color signal C″2M″,
Y'' is held in the internal converted color storage register 36.

(2) Then, at the start of printing, the paper color detection means 12 detects the base color of the printing paper 11 sent onto the roller 17, and sends paper color signals C9M and Y to the conversion means 14.

(2) The converting means 14 compares the paper color signals C, M, Y detected by the paper color detecting means 13 with the print color signals C', M', Y' from the host computer by internal comparison circuits 30, 32 .
Compare by 34.

If any one of the comparison circuits 30, 32, and 34 is different, the output of the AND circuit 38 becomes "0".
Therefore, the switching circuit 40 outputs the print color signals C', M', Y
' to the print head control means 15 as a color signal C''t, M4
．． Output as Y st.

On the other hand, paper color signals C, M, Y are print color signals C'M', Y
', the output of AND circuit B38 is '1
'', the switching circuit 40 outputs the color signals C'', M', Y'' stored in the register 36.Then, the print head control means 15 outputs the color signals C'', M', Y'' stored in the register 36.
Printing on the printing paper 11 by the color print head device 112 is controlled based on color print control signals from the color print head machine 112.

Now, when the color signals C″2M″, Y″ are the color signals C′, M′, Y′ of the colors to be printed, the color printing head 121 of the color print head mechanism 12 prints each color ink on the ink sheet 122. Using the films 125 to 127, color printing is performed on the printing paper 11 by a thermal transfer method.

■ On the other hand, the color control means 15 outputs color signals 04M", Y"
When the color signals are C, M, Y (black) in the register 38, the color printing head 121 of the color printing head mechanism 12 prints using an ink film 128 by a thermal transfer method.

Note that when the color signals C, M, and Y indicate white, printing is performed using the ink film 124.

In the embodiment described above, a case has been described in which the conversion color is designated from the operation panel 18, but a conversion table such as a ROM is provided inside the conversion means 14, and the color signals C', M
By inputting ', Y' as addresses, the most conspicuous color signal among the color signals C' and M'Y' to be printed may be output.

Further, the present invention can be applied to various color printing methods other than the thermal transfer method, such as an inkjet method and a laser printer method.

Furthermore, even if the color image to be printed contains the same color signal as the color of the paper, it can be output in a different color. Note that a switch may be interposed so that the output of the paper detection means becomes "0" so that this function can be selectively used.

〔effect〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Even if printing paper of the same color as the color to be printed is set, printing is performed in a different color, making it possible to check the printed content.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the basic configuration of the present invention, Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of an embodiment of the invention, Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of an ink sheet used in the embodiment, and Figure 4 is a diagram of conversion. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the three primary colors. 1 and 2, 11...printing paper, 12...color printing/rad mechanism, 13...paper color detection means, 14...conversion means,
15...Print head control means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a color printing method for performing color printing on printing paper (11), paper color detection means (13) detects the color of printing paper (11) and outputs a paper color signal; Conversion that compares the paper color signal detected by the paper color detection means (13) with a color instruction signal indicating the color to be printed, and if the two match, converts the color instruction signal into a different color and outputs it. and print head control means (15) for controlling printing on the printing paper (12) by the color print head mechanism (12) based on the color instruction signal from the conversion means (14). A color printing method characterized by